Mercury Speciation in Foods

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) is an extremely rare element in earth's crust and also the only metallic element that is liquid at room temperature and pressure. Mercury in the environment originates from both natural and anthropogenic sources. A number of exposure cases around the world, which have led to adverse health effects in humans, have been reported as a result of incidents related to mercury. Mercury and its species, especially methylmercury (CH 3 Hg + /MeHg), are a concern for certain foods. Contamination of fish, seafood products, and other food sources, such as rice, by MeHg/Hg continues to be a challenging issue. Although numerous articles regarding mercury in the environment have been published, there are limited articles regarding mercury speciation in food. This article discusses the topics of mercury speciation in foods, such as fish and rice, with the focus on advances in the analytical methods for mercury speciation.